Typically, electrosurgical devices have stand-alone monopolar capabilities or bipolar capabilities. Thus, a surgeon before a procedure begins may select either a device with monopolar capabilities or a device with bipolar capabilities and the surgeon can use the device to apply either monopolar power or bipolar power. For example, if the surgeon selects a monopolar device and monopolar power is not desired for the surgical procedure the surgeon may use either the device that supplies monopolar power to perform the procedure or switch to a device with bipolar capabilities. Both of these devices may be used to perform the procedure, however, switching between devices and/or using a device that may be better suited for a different purpose, may disturb the procedure flow, cause unnecessary delays in the procedure, and in some cases result in less than optimal energy sources being used.
Generally, electrosurgical devices are connected to a generator that produces a therapy signal and provides power to the electrosurgical device so that a therapy current is produced. However, the therapy currents that may be used are limited by the generator and thus if the generator is only capable of producing a single therapy current then only one therapy current can be applied through the electrosurgical device. Additionally, a generator may be capable of producing two therapy currents, but the electrosurgical device may only be capable of controlling and applying a single therapy current. Thus, the electrosurgical device may only apply a single therapy current. Some attempts have been made to produce a device that includes both monopolar capabilities and bipolar capabilities in a single device. These devices can be switched between monopolar capabilities and bipolar capabilities without switching devices. Some of these devices are reconfigurable between two mechanical configurations so that both monopolar current and bipolar current can be applied. However, the number of modes available in these devices may be restricted by the number of buttons available on the device.
Additionally, some surgical procedures require many different tools and each tool provides one or more functions that are useful during a surgical procedure. Thus, for each surgical procedure multiple different tools may be used by a surgeon to perform a surgical procedure. Changing between tools may lengthen a procedure or cause a surgeon to look away from a location and then require additional time or concentration to relocate a location of interest before continuing a procedure. Therefore, what is needed is a device that is capable of being mechanically reconfigured so that a surgeon can perform several steps with one instrument without having to change tools or field of view.
Examples of some electrosurgical instruments may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,110,171; 6,113,596; 6,190,386; 6,358,268; and 7,232,440; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0113827; 2005/0187512; 2006/0084973; 2012/0123405; 2014/0276795; and 2014/0276799 all of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. It would be attractive to have an electrosurgical device that can be switched between applying a monopolar therapy current and a bipolar therapy current and three or more mechanical configurations. It would be attractive to have an electrosurgical device that may be used in open surgery as forceps and may be used for electrical cutting, hemostasis, coagulation, gripping, mechanical cutting, fulgration, or a combination thereof. What is needed is an electrosurgical device that may selectively provide two or more and preferably four or more different therapy currents in three or more configurations and preferably four or more configurations. What is needed is an electrosurgical device that produces more therapy currents than a generator supplies signals (i.e., generator modes) to the electrosurgical device. What is needed is an electrosurgical device that is electrically reconfigurable so that the electrosurgical device has fewer activation buttons then signals that the generator supplies (i.e., generator modes) yet is capable of being electrically reconfigured to apply all of the signals from the generator.